Two women--one known as “Teacher Carline” and another who
branded herself as the “Queen of Absentee Ballots”—have become central figures in a court case challenging a razor-thin South Florida primary race that hinges on
allegations of voter fraud.

On Monday, a Leon County circuit court judge ordered Carline Paul, who
allegedly acted as a ballot broker in North Miami’s
Haitian community, to fly to Tallahassee
on Wednesday to testify. Noucelie Josna, the self-described absentee ballot
queen also accused of tampering with votes, has apparently gone off the radar.

In his court challenge, Julien alleges that several dead
people cast absentee ballots from one North
Miami nursing home, and Paul went to another to gather
up absentee ballots from people who now say they never voted in the Aug. 14
primary.

Watson’s campaign paid $1,000 to an entity owned by Paul, who
ran radio ads telling Haitian Creole-speaking North Miamians to “consult” with
her before casting their absentee ballots, in order to “vote correctly.”

Watson in the past has denied any fraud in her campaign. Julien
has said that Josna played a role in collecting fraudulent absentee ballots,
and Planas believes that’s why she has not responded to a court subpoena. A
private investigator has been called in to track her down.

“There’s a reason why they don’t want to testify,” said
Planas, who said it was not a coincidence that Watson’s campaign paid both
Josna and Paul. “If there was nothing wrong that they did, then you come in,
you give a deposition, you say, ‘I made phone calls, I did this, I did that. I
didn’t do anything wrong’.”

One nursing home described in Julien’s complaint as a fraud
hotspot was called “Watercrest.” At least 10 individuals requested absentee
ballots all on the same day and voted on Aug. 14 in the primary. Four of those
voters were either dead or no longer stationed at the nursing home and several
others said that someone else filled out their ballots they did not remember
who they voted for, according to the complaint.

At the Claridge House nursing home, six people voted by
absentee ballot. Julien’s complaint states that Paul’s mother was once
stationed at Claridge House, and that Paul is still a “constant presence” there.

On Monday, a judge ordered Claridge House to release
information showing the dates that Paul’s mother was a patient there.

Planas, a former Republican legislator, said he was willing
to go as far as challenging Watson’s seating in the Florida Legislature, if
necessary.

Julien echoed the sentiment.

“For me to just sit back and allow what is happening now,
would be a travesty,” said Julien. “I can’t stop.”